Label applying apparatus

ABSTRACT

A HAND-HELD LABEL APPLYING APPARATUS HAS A FEEDING MECHANISM FOR A STRAND OF LABELS WHICH IS ACTUATED BY THE FIRST PHASE OF A RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE APPARATUS HOUSING AND OF A LEVER CAUSED WHEN AN ABUTMENT ON THE LEVER ENGAGES THE OBJECT TO BE LABELED. THE FEED MECHANISM IS RELEASED IN THE SECOND PHASE OF THE MOVEMENT SO THAT THE FED LABEL STOPS AND IS APPLIED TO THE OBJECT WITH A PRESSURE INCREASED WHEN FRICTION IN THE FEEDING MECHANISM NO LONGER IMPEDES RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER AND OF THE HOUSING. MANY DETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION ARE SHOWN.

@1181411971 H. R01'I-HENBERGER l 3,532,433

- LABEL APPLYING APPARATUSv Filed Junge) `12.-, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet n Figa INVENTOR y Hwjfg 'Me/12,6@ n

`Jun@ 11s-1.971 y HQROTHENBERGER t l 3,582,433

LABEL APPLYING APPARATUS Filed Jim@ 12, 1965 s sheets-sheet :s

II-/VVENO A.

'United States Patent Ox 3,582,433 LABEL APPL ING APPARATUS Hansjoerg Rothenherger, 9052 Niederteufen, Switzerland Filed June 12, 1968, Ser. No. 736,344 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 28, 1967, 9,145/67; Mar. 20, 1968, 4,172/ 68 Int. Cl. B32b 31/20, 31/10 U.S. Cl. 156-384 12 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to label applying devices, and particularly to a self-contained apparatus carrying its own supply of labels in the form of a continuous strand, and also carrying necessary devices for sequentially applying the labels under pressure to suitable substrates.

The most commonly used yknown devices of this type require relatively great effort on the part of an operator and are inconvenient when a long series of objects has to be labeled in several hours of continuous work. One of the known devices has a handle consisting of two parts which are squeezed together against the restraint of a spring for feeding a strand of labels toward a pressure pad. After feeding, the label is applied to the object to be labeled by further manual pressure applied to the pad.

In another known device, the pressure pad is movable on the housing along the strand of labels. A terminal label of the strand which is located under the pad in the rest position of the latter is affixed to an object under pressure manually applied cby means of the housing, and the housing is then retracted along the strand of labels while maintaining the pressure of the pad on the terminal label. The pad is moved thereby while the strand is pulled out of the housing. The applied label may then be cut olf, and the next label is in position under the pad when the latter reverts to its rest position.

Other known devices similarly require relatively compleX and energy-consuming movements on the part of the operator. One of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of a label applying mechanism which may be operated manually in a simple manner requiring but a minimum of motion and of effort, and which affords similar advantages when mechanized or automatized in a manner conventional in itself.

SUMMARY` OF THE INVENTION With this object and others in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, the invention provides a label applying apparatus whose support structure has a pressure pad or its equivalent mounted thereon for pressing a label against an object when the support is moved tolward the object. A feeding mechanism is also mounted on the support and sequentially feeds labels in a continuous strand to the pressure pad.

The support mainly consists of a housing and of a carrier mounted on the housing for movement between a normal or rest position and au operative position. An

CTI

Patented June l, 1971 ice abutment on the carrier may be engaged with the aforementioned object for moving the carrier from its normal position toward the operative position when the housing is moved toward the object, `and an actuating mechanism is operatively interposed between the housing and the carrier and connected to the feeding mechanism for actuating they same in response to movement of the carrier from its normal position toward its operative position.

One of the improvements contributed by the instant invention resides in a coupling device which is a part of the actuating mechanism. The coupling device responds to movement of the carrier from the afore-mentioned normal position to an intermediate position by actuating the feeding mechanism, and it responds to movement of the carrier from the intermediate position to the operative position by releasing the feeding mechanism. Frictionally engaged elements in the latter impede its actuation so that movement of the carrier from its normal position to the intermediate position is impeded by friction in the feeding mechanism whereas movement from the intermediate position to the operative position is unimpeded. The advantages of this feature 'will presently be described in more detail.

In a specific embodiment, the coupling device may include a rack on the pivotally mounted carrier and a pinion rotatable on the housing, the rack being resiliently biased into sequential engagement of its teeth with the pinion `during movement of the carrier from the normal position into the intermediate position. When the last tooth of the rack passes the pinion in the intermediate position of the carrier, the rack releases the pinion. The pinion may constitute a portion of a toothed roller cooperating with another toothed roller to engage the strand of labels therebetween. The rollers thus constitute the feeding mechanism.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIE-F DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a label applying apparatus of the invention without one of the side walls of its housing in side elevation, and partly in section;

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the apparatus of FIG. l in an oblique plan view taken in the direction of the arrow II:

FIG. 3 shows a detail of the device of FIG. 2 in section on the line III-III;

FIG. 4 shows a modified detail for use in the apparatus of FIG. l and in a corresponding view;

FIG. 5 shows the detail of FIG. 4 in its cooperation with other elements of the apparatus of FIG. l and on a larger scale;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one element of the de- Vice of FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 illustrates yet another modified detail for use in the apparatus of FIG. 1, the view being in front elevation;

FIG. 8 shows the cooperation of the device of FIG. 7 with other elements of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a sideelevational, partly sectional view;

FIG. 9 shows a further modiiication of the device of FIG. 7 in a corresponding view;

FIG. l0 illustrates the cooperation of the modified device of FIG. 9 with other elements of FIG. 5;

FIG. ll show a Variation on one of the elements seen in FIG. l0, the element being shown in front elevation;

FIG. 11a illustrates the element of FIG. 11 in plan vlew;

FIG. 12 shows yet another modified detail for use in the apparatus of FIG. 8 or 1G;

FIG. 13 illustrates the cooperation of the device of FIG. 12 with other elements seen in FIG. 10 in the normal or rest position.

FIG. 14 shows the apparatus of FIG. 13 in a position intermediate the normal and the operative position; and

FIG. 15 illustrates yet another modification of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is seen a label applying apparatus of the invention whose normally hand held housing 1 has two flat, parallel side walls 2 of which one is removed in the view of FIG. 1 in order to reveal internal structure. The two side walls 2. are connected by a narrow cover 3 which forms the front, top, and back wall of the housing 1. The housing 1 is normally held together mainly by a tubular spacer 4 between the side walls 2 and attached to the side walls by screws engaging threads 6 in the axial bore of the spacer 4.

A pivot pin on the illustrated side wall 2 near the open bottom of the housing 1 supports a carrier 8 which is a two armed lever of sheet metal construction. It is normally held in the illustrated position by a spring (not shown) which tends to turn the lever 8 on the pivot pin 5 in a counterclockwise direction. One arm 9 of the lever 8. has partly the U-shape of a channel consisting of a web 20 and flanges 12, 13 near the pin 5. The flanges 12, 13 extend forward beyond the web 20, and their free front ends carry therebetween a circumferentially corrugated rubber roller on a shaft 11. An integral portion 14 of the iiange 13 projects beyond the pin 5 inward of the housing 1 to form the second arm of the lever 8.

The flanges 12, 13 have opposite L-shaped slots 15. The longer leg of each slot 15 extends longitudinally of the lever arm 9. A shaft 16 parallel to the pin 5 is engaged in the shorter legs 19 in the position of the shaft shown in fully drawn lines in FIG. 1. Knobs 16o on the two ends of the shaft 16 which project outward from the flanges 12, 13 axially secure the shaft. It may be shifted to the far end of the long leg in the slot 15 as indicated in broken lines at 16 in FIG. 1.

A slide 17 of folded sheet metal is attached to the shaft 16 and may pivot about the axis of the shaft and move with the same longitudinally of the lever arm 9 when the shaft is lifted from the short legs 19 which normally secure it against longitudinal movement. The slide 17 carries a backing pad 18 of rubber or the like and normally rests on the web 20, covering a rectangular opening 21 in the latter. Short lugs 22 which project from the slide 17 downwardly into the opening 21 guide the slide 17 during its longitudinal movement and secure it laterally. The slide 17 is held in the illustrated position by a leaf spring attached to the web 20 by means of two studs 24 riveted to the web and by the two screws 26 which attach the spring 25 to the free ends of the studs 24.

A pin 27 pivotally attaches an arm 28 to the free end of the lever arm 14. The free end of the arm 28 carries a row of teeth 29 which form a short rack and engage an axially terminal pinion portion of a toothed feed roller 30 in the illustrated position of the apparatus. The roller 30 loosely meshes with another feed roller 31 which is an idler. The arm 28 is biased toward the teeth of the roller 30 during pivotal movement of the lever 8 by a helical torsion spring 32 of thin spring wire. One of its straight ends 33 is hooked into a hole 34 of the arm 28. The other end 35 is attached to the lever arm 14 by a screw 36. The helical portion of the spring, not seen in detail, is wound about the pin 27 and tends to turn the arm 28 counterclockwise.

The feed roller 30 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 37 one end of which is attached to the side wall 2 whereas the other end carries a washer 38 and a screw 39 axially to secure the roller 30. The roller 31 is similarly mounted on a shaft 40 provided with a threaded, eccentric, axial bore 41, as best seen in FIG. 3. The shaft 40 is attached to the side wall 2 by a screw 42 engaging the bore 41. When the screw is partly released, the shaft 40 may vbe turned to change the radial spacing of the rollers 30, 31.

A short cylindrical sleeve 43 coaxial with the tubular spacer 4 and attached to the illustrated side wall 2 rotatably supports a spool 44 of a laminar tape 45. As is indicated in FIG. 1 only over a short length of the composite tape 45, it consists of a separating layer 46 of waxed paper and of a strip of label material whose face directed toward the separating layer 46 carries a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating too thin to permit pictorial representation in the instant drawing. The adhesive only weakly attaches the two other layers to each other, and the label strip can readily be peeled from the separating layer while the latter prevents the several turns of adhesive coated label material from sticking to each other in the spool 44.

The laminar tape 45 runs from the spool 44 over the pad 18 and through a guide opening defined vertically by the front part of the slide 17 and a transverse pin 23 rotatably mounted in the side walls 2. The separating layer 46 moves in an arc of almost 180 about the transverse front edge 48 of the slide 17, and is thereby peeled from the label strip 47. A free terminal strip portion 47 is seen in FIG. 1 to project forward from the slide 17. The separating layer 46 travels along the underside of a guide plate 49 on the side wall 2 to the nip of the rollers 30, 31 and outward of the housing as indicated by an arrow While the discharged separating layer is represented in FIG. 1 by a straight line for the sake of convenience, it actually emerges from the feed rollers 30, 31 with transverse corrugations whose depth can be adjusted by shifting the roller 31 toward and away from the roller 30.

The front end of the web 20 carries a transverse shearing blade 50 which rises obliquely upward and forward from the web 20, as is better seen in FIG. 5. The top of the blade 50 carries lateral guide horns 50 which are bent obliquely backward for guiding another shearing blade 51 into proper cooperation with the blade 50. The blade 51 is attached to the front wall 3 of the housing 1 by a bracket 53 and a leaf spring 52. When the housing 1 and the carrier lever 8 are pivoted relative to each other about the pin 5, the cutting edge of the blade 51 first engages the guide horns 50 under the pressure of the spring 52, and thereafter cooperates with the blade 50` to cut the strip end 47'.

The bracket 53 also carries a U-shaped sheet metal support 54, only one leg of the support 54 being visible in FIG. l. Short vertical slots 55 in the legs of the support 54 receive the ends of a shaft 56 carrying a rubber pressure pad of generally cylindrical shape, but having a corrugated surface. Two torsion springs 59 of steel wire coiled about studs 58v on the legs of the support 54 bias the shaft 56 toward the illustrated lowermost position in the slots 55.

An adjustable rubber stamp 60 of conventional construction is mounted on the side wall 2 by means o f a bracket 61. The stamp includes a stack of coaxial rubber rings 62 carrying integral type matter and angularly adjustable on a non-illustrated cylindrical support to print indicia on a portion of the label strip 47 in the printing station defined between the stamp 60 and the pad 18. The illustrated device is particularly suitable for dispensing and applying price labels, and the type matter on the stamp 60 may thus consist of numerals, decimal points, dollar signs, and the like.

An ink pad 63 is mounted on the free lower end 64 of a sheet metal carrier 65 whose upper portion 66 carries two coaxial pins `67. The pins movably engage short vertical slots 67 in the housing of the stamp 60, only one pin and associated elements being seen. A non-illustrated spring biases the carrier 65 downward and clockwise into the illustrated position in which further clockwise movement is prevented by engagement of the carrier 65 with an abutment 68 on the stamp housing. In the illustrated position, the inking pad 63 is downwardly spaced from the type matter of the rings 62.

The carrier 65 also is provided with two coaxial abutment pins -69 which engage respective upper guide edges 70 on lugs 71 projecting from the flanges 12, 13. When the lever 8 is pivoted from the illustrated position of FIG. 1 clockwise, as indicated by the arrow 72, the edges 70 push the pins 69 upward, thereby rst shifting the carrier 65 upward on the pins 67 until the inking pad 63 meets the type matter on the discs 62, and thereafter pivoting the carrier 65 counterclockwise, as indicated by the arrow 73, to wipe the ink pad 63 over the type matter. Ultimately, the carrier 65 and the pad 63 are swung out of the printing station, permitting the label strip `47 to be printed between the type matter and the backing pad 18.

The carrier lever 8 is normally held in the rest position shown in FIG. l by the afore-mentioned non-illustrated spring which holds the screw 36 on the arm 14 in abutting engagement with the head of a screw 74 :partly inserted in the side wall 2. The side wall is provided wth several tapped hole 75 for the screw 74 which permit the normal angular position of the carrier lever 8 on the housing 1 to be varied. As will presently become apparent, the position of the screw 74 also affects the length of the free end 47 of the label strip 47 after each actuation of the feeding mechanism.

A recess 77 in the lower edge 76 of each side wall 2 provides clearance for the knobs 160 on the shaft 16 during movement of the lever 8 in the direction of the arrow 72, and also permits the shaft 16 to be shifted into the position 16 while the carrier lever 8 is in the nonillustrated operative position. The rear wall 3 of the housing 1 has a cutting edge 3 for manual cutting of the separating layer 46.

The afore-described apparatus is operated as follows:

The housing 1, in the open condition of FIG. 1, is rst charged with label material by placing a spool 44 of laminar tape 45 on the sleeve 43. The separating layer 46 is peeled from the free end of the tape 45. The knobs 16' are shifted out of the short legs 19 of the slots 15 against the restraint of the spring 2S, and the shaft 16 is moved into the position 16', thereby providing access from above the opening 2.1. The transverse front edge 48 of the slide 17 extends across the opening 21 as shown at 48 in broken lines, thereby permitting the waxed paper band of the separating layer 46 to be pulled over the front edge of the slide 17, down through the opening 21, along the guide plate 49 and into the nip of the rollers 30, 31. The correspondnig portion of the adhesivecoated label material 47, also normally consisting of paper, is trimmed away. When the side wall 2 which is not shown in the drawing is installed, and the slide 17 is returned to its normal position, the apparatus is ready for dispensing and applying printed labels.

The operator takes the top 718 of the housing 1 in his hand and moves the housing toward the surface of a package 79 or other object to which the label is to be applied until the roller engages the surface 79, and further to pivot the lever 8 on the pin 5 in the direction of the arrow 72. lDuring the rst phase of the lever movement, the teeth 29 of the arm 218 sequentially engage the teeth of the roller 30, as indicated by the arrow 182, and thereby turn the roller, the separating layer 46 of waxed paper being pulled off the spool 44 and discharged from the housing 1 in the direction of the arrow 80. The last tooth 29 releases -the roller 30 when the lever 8 reaches an intermediate angular position, not shown in the drawing. Movement of the lever 8 from the illustrated normal position to the intermediate position is impeded by friction in the feeding mechanism, particularly in the presence of the tape 45. Aside from bearing friction, resistance to movement of the lever 8 is caused by the engagement of the teeth on the rollers 30, 31 with the interposed tape, by friction and other forces at the edge 48 of the slide 17, and by friction between the sleeve 43 and the spool 44.

When the rack 29 on the arm 28 releases the pinion on the roller 30, the feeding movement of the tape 45 stops, and the frictional resistance to further angular displacement of -the lever '8 ceases suddenly. Because of the normal reaction of the operators muscles to the resistance offered by the housing 1 during the first phase of label application, the force applied during the subsequent second phase is approximately the same, and the lever 8 is therefore moved at a suddenly increased angular speed during the second phase from the aforo-mentioned intermediate position to its ultimate operative position.

During the first phase, the tape 45 is fed forward to discharge some of the separating layer 46 and to project the free end 47 beyond the shearing blade 50 in the direction of the arrow 81. The inking mechanism on the carrier 65 wipes ink over the type matter on the rings 62 and is then swung out of the printing station. The cylindrical pressure pad 57, the shearing blade 51, and the stamp 60 approach the lever 8, but do not yet operate.

During the second phase of movement of the carrier lever |8, a portion of the now stationary tape 45 is engaged under pressure between the type matter on the rings 62 and the backing pad 18. The blades 50, 51 cooperate to sever the end portion 47' of Ithe label strip 47 from the remainder of the latter, and the pressure pad 57 urges the front part of the severed label against the surface 79. The operative or terminal position of the lever i8 is defined by the abutting cooperation of the stamp -60 and the pad 1'8. The resistance to further movement of the housing 1 toward the surface 79 is readily perceived by the operator who thereafter moves the roller 10 a short distance backward over the surface 79, thereby rolling the pad 57 over the freshly affixed label and attaching the label to the surface 79 over practically its entire surface.

When the housing 1 thereafter is lifted from the surface 79, the carrier lever `8 is returned tothe illustrated normal position by its non-illustrated spring. The teeth 29 on the lever 28 ratchet over the teeth of the roller 30 without engaging the same because -the direction of movement of the arm 28 is approximately tangential to the roller 30, the row of teeth 29 is somewhat convexly arcuate, and the teeth themselves have obliquely sloping flanks which tend to cause disengagement of the teeth under the applied force of the lever return spring which is much stronger than the force of the wire spring `35. The teeth 29 engage the roller 30 only after the arm 28 is again stopped by abutting engagement of the screws 36 and 74. The return movement of all other operating elements of the illustrated device is believed too obvious to require further description. The apparatus now is ready for the next label applying cycle.

The pad 18 and stamp 60 are located sufficiently behind the blades 50, 51 to print indicia on a portion of the strip 47 which will be aixed as a label in the second cycle after that in which printing took place, thereby permitting the applied ink to dry somewhat. Smearing of the freshly applied ink impression is further minimized by the corrugations on the surface of the cylindrical pressure pad 57 which do not touch every portion of the printed surface, yet apply adequate pressure to the label for activating the adhesive layer.

The length of the strip portion 47 which determines the length of the label applied in each operating cycle can be adjusted in steps by shifting the screw 74 between the several tapped holes 75, thereby changing the effective 7 length of the row of teeth 29. -Fine continuous adjustment of the label length is provided by the eccentric mounting of the roller 31. At constant circumferential travel of the rollers 30, 31 the length of the strip portion 47 is determined by the depth of the creases formed in the separating layer 46 by the teeth of the rollers 30, 31.

The apparatus illustrated may be employed not only with a continuous strip 47 of label material, but also with discrete labels sequentially attached to the continuous separating layer 46 in a known manner, and automatically peeled from the layer 46 when the latter travels in a sharp angle over the front edge 48. The apparatus is readily adjusted to labels of different length in the direction of feed. If the labels are printed prior to being inserted in the housing 1, the printing mechanism and the shearing blades 50, 51 maybe removed. The bracket 61 is adjustable in a conventional manner, not shown, to permit the impression site to be shifted along the tape `45 as needed for printing labels of different length.

If labels are to be dispensed at a very high rate, the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. l to 3 is preferably modified as shown in FIGS. 4 to 15. The modified devices make it unnecessary to move the apparatus along the surface 79 fully to fasten an applied label, and they permit the use of relatively slow-drying ink without smearing the printed indicia.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is seen the front wall 3 of the housing 1 which carries an integral bracket 3a formed by downwardly extending the Wall 3 and bending the free edge portion rearward and parallel to the bottom edge 76. A rubber pad 101 is adhesively affixed to the bottom surface of the bracket 3a to replace the cylindrical pad 57 shown in FIG. 1. The bracket 53 no longer being required to hold the pressure pad, it is replaced by an angular bracket 103 which fastens the leaf spring 52 and the upper shearing blade S1 to the side wall 2. As is best seen in FIG. 5, the bottom face of the pressure pad 101 is recessed, and the recess 102 receives the imprint 105 on the severed label 1.04 while the label is being pressed against the surface 79 by the pad 101, thus preventing smearing of the imprint if it is still wet during the pressing step.

The rear portion of the pad 101 beveled to prevent interference with the shearing blade `50 while permitting the severed label 104 to be applied to a precisely predictable portion of the surface 79. Because of the sloping configuration of the blade 50, the freshly severed rear edge of the label 104 moves toward the surface 79 in a straight path under the pressure of the relatively soft beveled portion of the pad 101.

Foam rubber or resilient foam plastic having closed pores is the preferred material of construction for the pad 101, and may also be employed to advantage in the other pressure pads described.

The apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 3, when modified in the manner described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 is operated by moving the housing 1 in a straight line toward the surface 79 to which a label is to be applied, and by removing the housing after resistance to the applied pressure indicates that the carrier lever 8 has reached its operative position shown in FIG. 5. The single motion necessary can be repeated in quick succession to label a long series of objects with a minimum of effort. The labels are Iirrnly affixed because of the relatively high velocity at which the pad 101 approaches the surface 79 during the second phase f the operation, as described above.

The pad 101 may also be mounted on the carrier lever 8 if provisions are made to move the pad on the lever from a. retracted to an active position as the lever approaches its operative position, and to retract the pad when the apparatus is lifted from the labeled surface.

-One suitable mounting arrangement for the pad 101 on the lever `8 is shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. The abutment roller 10 is replaced by an axially split roller 10a on the shaft 11 which also rotatably supports a sheet metal carrier 107 by means of integral hinge barrels 108 on the carrier. The latter extends readward from the shaft 11, and a pressure pad 101 is cemented to its underside. A pin 109 transversely connects the anges 12, 13 of the carrier lever l8, and one end of a helical torsion spring 110 wound around the shaft 11 is hooked over the pin 109. The other end of the spring 110 engages the carrier 107 and normally holds the pad 101 in the retracted position shown in fully drawn lines in FIG. 8, thereby permitting free forward feeding of a tape end 47 during the first phase of operation as indicated by the arrow 111. The front Wall 3 of the housing 1 engages the carrier 107 during movement of the lever 8 from the intermediate to the operative position, and swings the pad 101 about the axis of the shaft 11 toward a label severed simultaneously by the shearing blades 50, 51, and toward the surface 79 of the object which is to be labeled until the pad projects downward beyond the flanges 12 13 of the lever 8.

When the pressure pad is mounted on the carrier lever 8 while the ink pad 63 is mounted on the housing 1, the pressure pad cannot be soiled with ink by a careless operator while the pad 63 is being re-inked or replaced as is conventional in printing devices of the type shown in FIG. l.

FIGS. 9 and l0 illustrate yet another mounting arrangement for the pressure pad 101 on the carrier lever 8. The apparatus which is identical with that illustrated in FIGS. l to 3 as far as not indicated otherwise hereinafter, has a carrier plate 113 of generally rectangular shape and provided with integral, projecting lugs 114 on its narrower sides. The lugs are received in rectangular guide slots 115 of the flanges 12, 13 which are elongated at right angles to the direction of elongation of the lever 8, and locate the plate 113 between the contact roller 10 and the shearing blade 50.

The front ends of the flanges 12, 13 are connected by a pin 109, and one end of each of two helical torsion springs 116 coiled about the shaft 11 of the roller 10 is hooked over the pin 109. The other end of each coil abuts from below against an associated lug 114, thereby normally pressing the plate 113 against the top walls of the slots 115 and against the pin 109 so that the plate 113 slopes obliquely in a forward and downward direction when in the retracted position seen in FIG. l() in fully drawn lines. The pressure pad 101 is cemented to the underside of the plate 113 and permits free discharge of label material as indicated by the arrow 111 until the pad is moved into the active position shown in chain-dotted lines by engagement with a bracket 3a on the front wall of the housing. The at bottom face of the bracket is shaped so as to pivot the plate 113 into a position approximately parallel to the bottom edge of the flange 13, and then to move the plate downward toward a surface 79 and a label arranged thereon as seen in FIG. 5, but not explicity shown in FIGS. 9 and l0.

If it is desired to operate the apparatus of FIG. l0 with a single spiral spring on the shaft 11, a split roller 10a is employed as shown in FIG. 7, and the single spring provided centrally on the shaft 11 is hooked into a modified carrier plate 113 from above, the plate 113" being provided for this purpose with an integral, central eye (FIG. 1l).

The label applying apparatus of the invention must be modified further if it is desired to affix labels to the top of a can whose cylindrical wall projects outward beyond the circular top wall, or to other surfaces which cannot be approached closely by the portion of the lever 8 which carries the pressure pad 101. A suitable modification is illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 14.

As is seen in FIG. 12, the front wall 3 of the housing 1 carries a leaf spring 121 on its bottom end. The spring is obliquely inclined relative to the bottom edge 76 of the side wall 2 in a rearward direction, and its lowermost portion 122 is bent to present a convexly arcuate bottom face. The spring 121 is stiff enough 4to overcome the resistance of the spring 116 omitted from FIGS. 13 and 14 for the sake of clarity, the Spring 116 normally holding the plate 113 in the retracted position seen in FIG. 13 in fully drawn lines. The spring 121, however, can readily be deformed by manual pressure applied by the operator to the housing 1.

The spring 121 is long enough to press the pad 101 on the plate 113 out of the carrier lever 8 and into engagement with the object to be labeled even if the object is shaped to prevent movement of the lever 8 entirely into its usual operative position, as indicated in FIG. 13 by the angular relationship of the lever 8 and the surface 79. The spring 121 also tilts the carrier 113 in the manner described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, and such tilting is facilitated by the rhomboidal shape of the modilied guide slots 115 in the flanges 12, 13.

Because of the exibility of the spring 121, the same apparatus may also be employed on objects which are to be labeled on a fully accessible surface, as is seen in FIG. 14. The relationship of the pressure pad 101 and of elements moving with the pad to other portions of the apparatus is seen in FIG. 14 in the retracted and active positions of the pad which are represented by fully drawn and chain-dotted lines respectively.

The pressure pad 101 may also be mounted on the housing portion 1 of the label applying apparatus to replace the cylindrical pad 57, and FIG. shows as much of the otherwise unchanged apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 3 as is necessary for an understanding of this modification.

A rocker plate 125 is mounted on a shaft 126 between the side walls 2 near the bottom end of the front wall 3. The plate 125 carries the pad 101 on lits underside and is normally held by a torsion spring 127 in the obliquely tilted position seen in the drawing. When the carrier lever 8, not itself seen in FIG. 15, approaches its operative position, it strikes the front edge 128 of the plate 125, and swings the plate in the direction of the arrows 129 on the shaft 126 to place the pad 101 in its active position.

The modifications of the apparatus of FIG. l illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 15 are operated in the manner described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. While the illustrated label applying devices offer outstanding advantages when operated manually, they may be incorporated in automatically operating machinery in an obvious manner. In such devices, the housing 1 may be fixedly mounted, and the carrier lever 8 may be swung about the pin 5 by engagement with an object to be labeled which is moved toward the housing.

Other modifications will readily suggest themselves to r those skilled inthe art on the basis of the foregoing teachings since only preferred embodiments have been illustrated and described.

What I claim is:

1. In a label applying apparatus having a support, pressure means on said support for pressing a label against an object when said support is moved toward said object, feeding means on said support for sequentially feeding labels in a continuous strand to said pressure means, said support having a housing portion and a carrier portion pivotally mounted on said housing portion for movement between a normal position and an operative position, abutment means on said carrier portion engageable with said object for moving the carrier portion from said normal position thereof toward said operative position when said housing portion is moved toward said object, and actuating means operatively interposed between said portions and connected to said feeding means for actuating the same during movement of the carrier portion from said normal position toward said operative position, the improvement which comprises:

(a) a rack member mounted on one of said portions for movement therewith, said rack member having a plurality of teeth arranged in a row;

10 (b) a pinion member mounted on the other portion for rotation by meshing engagement with said rack member during movement of said carrier portion from said normal position of said carrier member t0 a position intermediate said normal and operative positions,

(l) the length of said row being such that said pinion member engages the last tooth of said row in said intermediate position of said carrier portion and is disengaged from said rack member during movement of said carrier member from said intermediate position to said operative position; and

(c) connecting means operatively connecting said pinion member to said feeding means for operating the same while said pinion member is rotated by said rack member, friction in said feeding means being suicient to substantially prevent rotation of said pinion member when disengaged from said rack member,

(l) whereby movement of said carrier portion from said normal position to said intermediate position is impeded by said friction, while movement of said carrier portion from said intermediate position to said operative position is unimpeded.

2. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said feeding means including two toothed rollers cooperating to engage said strand of labels therebetween, a portion of one of said rollers constituting said pinion member.

3. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, means for varying the spacing of said rollers from each other and for thereby varying the feeding rate of said feeding means.

4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, type matter on one of said portions and a yieldable backing pad on the other portion, said type matter and said pad defining a printing station therebetween, said feeding means feeding said strand of labels through said printing station for engagement of said labels under pressure between said type matter and said pad during movement of said carrier portion from said intermediate position to said operative position.

S. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 4, inking means for inking said type matter, said inking means including an ink pad normally spacedly interposed between said type matter and said backing pad in said printing station, and operating means responsive to movement of said carrier portion from said normal position to said intermediate position for wiping said inking pad on said type matter and for thereafter removing the inking pad from the printing station.

6. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, cooperating shearing means on said housing portion and on said carrier portion for shearing a terminal label from said strand of labels in response to movement of said carrier portion into said operative position.

7. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 6, said shearing means including a resilient mounting member on said housing portion and a rst shearing blade on said mounting member, a second shearing blade on said carrier portion, and guide means on said carrier portion for guiding said first blade into shearing cooperation with said second blade during relative movement of said housing portion and said carrier portion.

8. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said pressure means including a pressure pad having a pressure face formed with a recess therein, printing means on said housing portion for printing indicia on said strand of labels lprior to said feeding thereof to said pressure means, said feeding means including means feeding each label of said strand to said .pressure means in a position in which said indicia are aligned with said recess in the direction of movement of said carrier portion from said intermediate position to said operative position.

9. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 3, said pressure means including a pressure pad mounted on said support for movement between a retracted position n which said pressure pad is retracted from the path in which said strand of labels is fed by said feeding means and an active position in which the pressure pad engages a label in said path, and operating means responsive to the movement of said` carrier portion from said normal position to said operative position for moving said pressure pad from said retracted position to said active position.

10. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 9, said pad being mounted on said carrier portion for movement between said retracted position and said active position.

11. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 9, yieldably resilient means biasing said pressure pad toward said retracted position, said pressure pad being mounted on one of said portions of said support, and said operating means including an abutment on the other portion of said support engaging said pressure pad and moving the same against the restraint of said yieldably resilient means during said movement of said carrier portion.

12. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, yieldably 1 2 resilient means biasing said rack member into sequential engagement of said teeth thereof with said pinion member during movement of said carrier portion from said normal position to said intermediate position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 25,056 10/ 1961 Fritzinger 156-523 790,441 5/1905 Knilen 74-142 1,402,369 1/1922 Nasmith 74-142 p 2,827,104 3/1958 Rives 156-505 2,909,301 10/ 1959 Fritzinger 156-505 3,051,353 8/1962 Krueger 156-577X 3,231,446 1/1966 Satas 156-384 Fritzinger 15 6-5 77X SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner J. M. HANLEY, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 

